Five Credit
Five Credit is a Portuguese digital lender providing regulated SME financing (€12,500–€500,000) through revolving credit lines, term loans, and refinancing, distributed via its own CreditScore platform and the AIP-CCI partnership.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2022
- HeadquartersLisboa, Portugal
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Five Credit does
Five Credit is a Portuguese digital lender that provides financing to micro, small and medium Portuguese enterprises. The company targets SMEs with at least three years of activity, regularized tax and social security status, and revenue above €75,000, offering three regulated products — a Linha de Crédito Flex revolving facility (€12,500–€500,000, up to 12 months renewable, from 1% monthly on used amount), Crédito de Longo Prazo term financing (€25,000–€500,000, up to 5 years, from 2.5% annually plus Euribor), and Refinanciamento debt consolidation (€25,000–€500,000, up to 5 years, variable from 2.5% plus Euribor). Pricing is differentiated by ESG maturity through the SystemicESGscore integration, with better ESG profiles receiving better conditions.
Underlying the credit offering is a proprietary technology stack. The CreditScore platform handles digital application, document submission, and ongoing credit management with real-time balance and movement tracking, while the Five Extractor tool automates secure upload and processing of financial documents including balance sheets, income statements, and debt maps. Credit decisions are supported by an automated financial scoring engine that integrates with three Portuguese government sources — Autoridade Tributária, Segurança Social, and Banco de Portugal — to pull tax compliance, social security status, and credit responsibility data with customer consent. Pre-qualification is delivered in five minutes and final decisions in five business days.
Five Credit operates as a brand under CIRCLE CAPITAL – SGOIC, S.A., which is authorized by CMVM (license 174496) and manages the Circle Capital Lending Fund (CMVM reg. 1917) and Sub-Fundo 1 Five Credit (reg. 0001) — the first registered credit fund in Portugal. The company is backed by LX Partners and reaches SMEs through a digital self-serve channel at creditscore.fivecredit.pt supplemented by a strategic partnership with AIP-CCI and a national roadshow across multiple Portuguese cities. Revenue is generated from credit interest income (spread between funding cost and lending rates) and from refinancing commissions including opening and early-repayment fees.
Five Credit firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Five Credit
- Legal name
- CIRCLE CAPITAL – SGOIC, S.A.
- Website
- https://fivecredit.pt
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2022
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Five Credit is a Portuguese digital lender providing regulated SME financing (€12,500–€500,000) through revolving credit lines, term loans, and refinancing, distributed via its own CreditScore platform and the AIP-CCI partnership.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Five Credit industry classification
Industry- Product category
- SME Lending
- NAICS
- Nondepository Credit Intermediation (5222), Other Nondepository Credit Intermediation (52229)
- SIC
- Short-Term Business Credit Institutions (6153), Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159)
- akta.pro primary industry
- SME Lending Platforms & Embedded SME Credit (FSAKAGAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Multi-Loan / Multi-Creditor Consolidation Loans (FSAKAIAD), SME Credit Underwriting, Scoring & Risk Analytics (FSAKAGAL)
Keywords
Where Five Credit is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lisboa
- HQ country
- Portugal
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Five Credit business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Credit Interest Income: Interest income from lending products including Long-term Credit (2.5% + Euribor annual rate) and Flex Credit Line (1% monthly on used amount). Revenue generated from spread between funding cost and lending rates to SMEs.
- Refinancing Fees: Opening commission and early repayment fees for debt consolidation and refinancing services. Commission structure includes opening fee and proportional early repayment commission based on remaining amount and term.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | Long-term Credit: 25,000€ - 500,000€, up to 5 years, from 2.5% annual + Euribor |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Flex Credit Line: 12,500€ - 500,000€, renewable 12 months, from 1% monthly on used amount |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | Refinancing: From 2.5% monthly (variable rate) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Five Credit product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Five Credit is a Portuguese digital lending platform that provides financing solutions to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) through three core credit products: a revolving Flex Credit Line (€12,500–€500,000, 12-month renewable), medium/long-term credit (€25,000–€500,000, up to 5 years), and debt consolidation/refinancing. All lending is processed through a 100% digital application with a 5-minute pre-qualification and 5-day final approval, and is operated via the first registered credit fund in Portugal (Circle Capital Lending Fund) managed by CMVM-regulated Circle Capital – SGOIC, S.A.
Product overview
Five Credit operates as a digital SME financing platform offering three distinct credit products: the Linha de Crédito Flex (revolving credit line for flexible working capital), the Crédito de Longo Prazo (medium/long-term investment financing), and the Refinanciamento (debt consolidation solution). All products provide financing between €25,000 and €500,000 with 5-day approval timelines and operate through the Circle Capital Lending Fund regulated by CMVM. The platform is 100% digital, targeting Portuguese SMEs with at least 3 years of activity seeking alternatives to traditional banking.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Linha de Crédito Flex (Flex Credit Line) A revolving credit line offering flexible access to funds between €12,500 and €500,000 for up to 12 months (renewable), with fixed interest rates starting from 1% per month on the amount effectively used. Designed for treasury management, invoice anticipation, and working capital needs of Portuguese SMEs.
- Crédito de Longo Prazo (Medium/Long-Term Credit) Medium to long-term financing ranging from €25,000 to €500,000 with repayment periods up to 5 years, featuring variable interest rates starting from 2.5% annually plus Euribor. Suitable for growth investment and asset acquisition by Portuguese SMEs.
- Refinanciamento (Debt Consolidation) Debt consolidation solution that transforms multiple existing bank credits into a single loan with extended terms up to 5 years and variable rates from 2.5% plus Euribor. Helps companies reduce monthly payments and simplify financial management. Includes opening commission and proportional early repayment commission.
Quantifiable outcome
- Approval time reduced from weeks to 5 business days
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Five Credit
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Five Credit technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
AI capability4 records
Feature3 records
Five Credit partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- AIP-CCI (Associação Industrial Portuguesa – Câmara de Comércio e Indústria)coreStrategic partnership to facilitate Portuguese SMEs' access to innovative financing solutions. AIP plays an essential role in supporting SMEs through the application process for credit lines. National roadshow events planned with sessions in multiple cities to present the financing solution.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Five Credit competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Banca IFIS: Italian listed bank specialised in SME lending, factoring and distressed credit. Comparable business model as a non-bank-style specialist SME lender, though operating in Italy rather than Iberia.
- Lulalend: Digital SME working-capital lender in South Africa offering short-term credit lines to small businesses. Comparable as an emerging-market digital SME lender, though operating in a different geography (sub-Saharan Africa).
Direct peers
- Younited Credit: European consumer and SME credit platform operating across France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Germany. Directly comparable as a regulated, fund-based digital lender expanding into Iberian SME credit.
- October (formerly Lendix): French-headquartered digital SME lending platform originating business loans across Europe. Comparable in offering direct SME credit products, in using online application flows, and in serving mid-market SMEs underserved by banks.
- iwoca: European digital lender providing flexible credit lines and term loans to small businesses. Closely matches Five Credit's revolving Flex line and long-term credit product structure, as well as its focus on speed and flexibility over bank alternatives.
- Funding Circle: UK-listed digital SME lending platform originating term loans to small businesses. Highly comparable business model, target customer (SMEs), and use of technology-driven underwriting, though operating at much larger scale and across multiple European markets.
- Spotcap: Online SME lending platform active in Europe and Australia providing revolving and term credit lines to small businesses. Comparable product mix (revolving + term) and target segment of underserved SMEs.
Broad incumbents
- Millennium BCP: Largest Portuguese private-sector bank with a deep SME loan book and national branch network. The primary incumbent competitor for SME credit in Portugal, with scale and deposit-funding advantages Five Credit lacks.
- Banco BPI: Major Portuguese commercial bank with a strong SME and corporate banking franchise. Represents the incumbent alternative that Five Credit competes against on speed, flexibility and customer experience in the Portuguese SME market.
- Caixa Geral de Depósitos: Portuguese state-owned universal bank with a dominant position in SME lending and government-guaranteed credit lines. Defines the competitive baseline Five Credit must beat on speed and flexibility to win SME share in Portugal.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Five Credit social profiles
Digital presenceFive Credit compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Five Credit financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Five Credit leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Five Credit funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Five Credit M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Five Credit
What does Five Credit do?
Five Credit is a Portuguese digital lending platform that provides financing solutions to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) through three core credit products: a revolving Flex Credit Line (€12,500–€500,000, 12-month renewable), medium/long-term credit (€25,000–€500,000, up to 5 years), and debt consolidation/refinancing. All lending is processed through a 100% digital application with a 5-minute pre-qualification and 5-day final approval, and is operated via the first registered credit fund in Portugal (Circle Capital Lending Fund) managed by CMVM-regulated Circle Capital – SGOIC, S.A.
Is Five Credit a public or private company?
Five Credit is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was Five Credit founded?
Five Credit was founded in 2022. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Five Credit based?
Five Credit is headquartered in Lisboa, Portugal, in the Europe region.
How does Five Credit make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Credit Interest Income is the primary driver. The others are refinancing Fees.
Who are Five Credit's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Banca IFIS and Lulalend. Direct peers are Younited Credit, October (formerly Lendix), iwoca, Funding Circle and Spotcap. Broad incumbents are Millennium BCP, Banco BPI and Caixa Geral de Depósitos.
Does Five Credit have an API?
No public API is recorded for Five Credit.
What industry is Five Credit in?
Five Credit's product category is SME Lending. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAKAGAJ, SME Lending Platforms & Embedded SME Credit, with a secondary code of FSAKAIAD, Multi-Loan / Multi-Creditor Consolidation Loans. Its NAICS code is 5222 and its SIC code is 6153.